Isometric strength vs. functional mobility and their relationship with risk of falls in community-dwelling older adults: a prospective study

Abstract

Background: Falls are a major concern for older adults and their care givers. The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is extensively used to identify individuals at risk of falling, but less is known about the validity of simple isometric strength measures for this purpose. We aimed to assess the potential of isometric strength measures and the different modalities of the TUG test to detect individuals at risk of falling. Methods: Twenty-four community-dwelling older adults (≥ 65 years, 19 females, 88±7 years) performed three variations of the TUG test (standard, cognitive, motor) and three isometric strength tests (handgrip, knee extension and hip flexion) at baseline and at several time points (every ~6 weeks) during a 13-month follow-up. Linear mixed model analyses were then performed to examine differences between those who sustained ≥1 fall during the follow-up and those who did not. Results: Fallers had a worse performance in all TUG variations and a lower strength in all tests than non-fallers in non-adjusted analyses (p<0.05). However, when adjusting for baseline variables (age, gender, body mass index, and previous history of falls), only differences in handgrip and knee extension isometric strength measures remained significant (p=0.019 and p=0.042, respectively). Isometric strength measures related to changes in TUG performance both at baseline and during the follow-up (p<0.05). Conclusions: Isometric strength measures has potential to serve as a simple tool to detect individuals at risk of falling as compared to functional mobility measures (i.e. TUG test).

Balance Measurement Using Microsoft Kinect v2: Towards Remote Evaluation of Patient with the Functional Reach Test

“…Moreover, assessing balance permits measuring the effects of the exercises proposed in a certain therapy. Various clinical tests have been developed to help assessing balance, gait, and postural control of subjects and predict therefore fall risks [5][6][7]. These tests include Tinetti Balance test [8][9][10], Berg Balance Scale [11][12][13][14], Timed Up and Go test [15][16][17][18], and Functional Reach test [19][20][21].…”